The present research program will explore the possibility of enhancing, simultaneously, adhesion and wear resistance in polymeric restoratives through the action of electrostatic forces. This approach is, in part, based on preliminary experiments and other previous investigations which suggest the existence of electrostatic potentials on tooth surfaces. Electrostatic prtentials will be incorporated in various components of restorative materials (fillers, polymeric powders and in situ polymerized matrices) as a means to promote adhesion at both tooth/restorative and filler/matrix interfaces. Their incorporation will be carried out by a combination of thermoelectric pre-treatments and minor chemical modifications of acrylic resins. These modifications will involve copolymerization of small amounts of ionizable monomers (methacrylate salts) with conventional acrylic compounds. Conventional procedures will be used to characterize mechanical properties of formulated restoratives such as hardness, tensile and compressive strengths. Any changes in glass transition temperatures and/or development of structural order due to polymerization in the presence of electrostatic fields will be assessed by differential scanning calorimetry and x/ray diffraction techniques. Marginal adaptation and adhesion to both enamel and dentin surfaces will involve scanning electron microscopy and in vitro mechanical tests, respectively. An infrared spectroscopic technique has been proposed as a means to evaluate in vitro wear resistance of the various restorative formulations.